Method for creating mailpieces from a single continuous web of printed material

Abstract

A method for creating mailpieces from a single web of printed material. The web of printed material includes a continuous web having a width and a length, the length comprised of a series of attached sheets. The series of attached sheets is comprised of envelope sheets and content pages. The content pages are rectangular in shape and may be oriented relative to the envelope sheets in a number of different configurations. In some configurations, two sets of content pages and/or envelope sheets can be printed across the width of the web. The method starts with cutting consecutive attached sheets into separated sheets. The content pages belonging to a same mailpiece are accumulated together. The separated envelope sheet is transported, bypassing the accumulating and turning steps. The accumulated and turned content pages are then merged with the envelope sheet, and the envelope sheet is folded and closed around the accumulated content pages to form a finished enclosing envelope.

1. A method for creating mailpieces from a single web of printed material, wherein the web of printed material includes a continuous web having a width and a length, the length comprised of a series of attached sheets, the series of attached sheets comprising envelope sheets and content pages, the content pages being rectangular in shape and having a long dimension and a short dimension, the content pages printed onto the continuous web such the short dimension of the content pages is parallel to left and right edges of the web; and the envelope sheets having an envelope sheet width dimension parallel to the width of the web, the envelope sheet width dimension being the same as the content page long dimension; the method comprising:
 cutting consecutive attached sheets into separated sheets; 
 transporting the separated sheets in a first direction parallel to a direction of the web; 
 accumulating content pages belonging to a same mailpiece, the accumulated pages being received for accumulation in the first direction; 
 turning the accumulated content pages by 90 degrees; 
 transporting the envelope sheet in the first direction, bypassing the accumulating and turning steps; 
 merging the accumulated and turned content pages with the envelope sheet; 
 enclosing the accumulated content pages in the envelope sheet. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of enclosing includes applying adhesive to flaps of the envelope sheet and folding the flaps to form the envelope around the accumulated content pages. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the printed envelope sheets form flats envelopes, dimensioned for enclosing unfolded content pages, with a longer envelope length dimension of the flats envelope running in the web direction. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein after the step of accumulating and prior to the step of turning, further including the steps of transporting accumulated content pages in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and folding the accumulated content pages along folds made parallel to the first direction. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the step of folding includes making two folds to fold the accumulated content pages into thirds. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the printed content pages are dimensioned to be a standard letter size, and wherein the printed envelope sheets form a standard envelope size dimensioned for enclosing the twice folded content pages. 
   
   
     7. The method of  claim 4  wherein the step of folding includes making one fold to fold the accumulated content pages in half. 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 7  wherein the printed content pages are dimensioned to be a standard letter size, and wherein the printed envelope sheets form a standard envelope size dimensioned for enclosing the half folded content pages. 
   
   
     9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the content pages are printed onto the continuous web such that two end-to-end content pages are across the width of the web, the short dimension of the content pages being parallel to the length of the web, and two envelope sheets are printed side-by-side across the width of the web and in series with the end-to-end content pages; the method further comprising splitting the adjacent sheets apart along the length of the web to form separate left and right web portions. 
   
   
     10. A method for creating mailpieces from a single web of printed material, wherein the web of printed material includes a continuous web having a width and a length, the length comprised of a series of attached sheets, the series of attached sheets comprising envelope sheets and content pages, the content pages being rectangular in shape and having a long dimension and a short dimension, the content pages printed onto the continuous web such that the short dimension of the content pages is parallel to left and right edges of the web; and the envelope sheets having an envelope sheet width dimension parallel to the width of the web, the envelope sheet width dimension being the same as the content page long dimension; the method comprising:
 cutting consecutive attached sheets into separated sheets; 
 transporting the separated content page sheets in a first direction parallel to a direction of the web; 
 accumulating content pages belonging to a same mailpiece, the accumulated pages being received for accumulation in the first direction; 
 transporting the accumulated content pages in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; 
 transporting the envelope sheet in the second direction and bypassing the accumulating step, the envelope sheet being reoriented in its plane by 90 degrees; 
 merging the accumulated content pages with the envelope sheet; and 
 enclosing the accumulated content pages in the enclosing envelope sheet. 
 
   
   
     11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of enclosing includes applying adhesive to flaps of the envelope sheet and folding the flaps to form the envelope around the accumulated content pages. 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 10  wherein the printed content pages are dimensioned to be a standard letter size, and wherein the printed envelope sheets form flat envelopes, dimensioned for enclosing unfolded content pages. 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of transporting the accumulated content pages parallel to the second direction after the step of accumulating further includes the step of folding the accumulated content pages along folds made parallel to the first direction. 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 13  wherein the step of folding includes making two folds to fold the accumulated content pages into thirds. 
   
   
     15. The method of  claim 14  wherein the printed content pages are dimensioned to be a standard letter size, and wherein the printed envelope sheets form a standard envelope size dimensioned for enclosing the twice folded content pages. 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 13  wherein the step of folding includes making one fold to fold the accumulated content pages in half. 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the printed content pages are dimensioned to be a standard letter size, and wherein the printed envelope sheets form a standard envelope size dimensioned for enclosing the half folded content pages. 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 10  wherein the content pages are printed onto the continuous web such that two end-to-end content pages are across the width of the web, the short dimension of the content pages being parallel to the length of the web, and two envelope sheets are printed side-by-side across the width of the web and in series with the end-to-end content pages; the method further comprising splitting the adjacent sheets apart along the length of the web to form separate left and right web portions. 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 18  wherein the steps of accumulating the content pages and transporting the accumulated content pages are comprised of transporting the separated content pages through a right angle turn module whereby the pages are arranged in a single line shingled arrangement prior to accumulating. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of transporting the envelope sheet in the second direction is comprised of transporting the envelope sheet through a right angle turn module whereby the direction and orientation of the envelope sheet are changed by 90 degrees.